Wadena Fire Department

Over 250 Acres Burned, No Lives or Properties Lost

The Hewitt Fire Department responded to a vehicle collision with a tree on Highway 210, near County Road 77, at 1:10 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23. According to the State Patrol, a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado traveling westbound went off the road and struck a tree. The driver, Phillip Kukuczka, 82, of Waseca, sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and the vehicle was towed from the scene. The accident ignited a fire that rapidly spread through the dry grass, fueled by winds of

Apr 281 min read

Occupants Safe after House Fire in Aldrich

On Wednesday, April 22, the Wadena County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a house fire at the Jared Forcier property in Section 34 of Aldrich Township. The fire was reported shortly before 12:30 p.m. Upon the arrival of the first responders, they found the house completely engulfed in flames, but all occupants were reported to be safe and evacuated. Fire departments from Verndale, Staples and Wadena spent several hours working to extinguish the fire... Subscrib

Apr 281 min read

One Fatality in House Fire

A man who died in a house fire early Monday morning in Otter Tail County has been identified. According to the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, the fire was reported before 4 a.m., March 9, along County Highway 75, northwest of Wadena. Multiple emergency crews responded to the scene, including firefighters from the Bluffton, Wadena, Sebeka and New York Mills fire departments, along with Astera Ambulance... Subscribe to get the rest of the story...

Mar 171 min read

Apartment Fire Under Investigation

On Saturday, February 28, at 7:47 a.m., the Staples Fire Department was dispatched to an apartment complex on the 400 block of 2nd Avenue NE in the city of Staples for a report of smoke in the building. Upon the arrival of the Staples Fire and Police Department, it was confirmed that there was an active fire in an apartment on the third floor of the 14-unit apartment complex, triggering an evacuation of the building. Firefighters utilized ladder trucks to aid in the firefi

Mar 31 min read

Fatal House Fire in Rural Wadena

The Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a structure fire at approximately 7:40 p.m. at a residence in Compton Township, west of Wadena. Fire crews from Wadena, Bluffton, Deer Creek, and Henning responded and worked to extinguish the fire. Emergency responders located a man unresponsive inside the home. Life-saving measures were attempted at the scene before he was transported to Astera Hospital, where he later died from his injuries... Subscribe to get th

Feb 31 min read